


Past Mistakes

by MsSirEy



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Time Travel, F/F, and is gonna get heavy, buckle up friends, new timeline is more grim, original timeline is still canon, this is plot heavy
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-05-23
Updated: 2017-06-10
Packaged: 2018-11-04 01:55:22
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,870
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10980918
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MsSirEy/pseuds/MsSirEy
Summary: Kara thought the mission - a quick grab and go - would have no impact. That was what Sara had said. There was no reason to think the whole timeline would be altered.Kara is stuck in 2015, Lex defeated Superman, a war is rising against aliens, and Kara has to seek out the help of Lena Luthor, who does not know her. What could possibly go wrong?





	1. The End that Started Everything

**Author's Note:**

> My brain came up with this idea at 1am and would not stop yelling at me until I promised to write it down. So, here we are, with a 'fun' little idea!
> 
> The story features Sara Lance from Legends of Tomorrow, but I am going to do my best to minimize the references I make to that show. Supergirl is in its own little bubble and I would not want to spoil Legends of Tomorrow for anyone who has not watched it. But, in case I fail, I am sorry in advance.
> 
> Enjoy!

Kara had never felt so afraid while looking at an image of herself. Billboards and posters were visible from every corner of National City, captioned with a message that was more unsettling than the fact that the image used made Kara look cold and dangerous.

Wanted: Dead.

“Gideon!”

Sara Lance stood beside her and looked out over the city; they saw the same thing. “Captain Lance?”

“What have we changed?” The other woman was practiced in seeing alternate versions of reality, but Kara only ever had one timeline. Kara’s jaw was tight. Her fists were clenched and she tried to beat down the rise of panic. She did not even have a true sense of what was different about the timeline, but she already questioned whether it would be possible to return to hers. The life she lived was so precious to her and while nothing was perfect, she would not have changed anything. She had heard of Barry’s trouble with that.

Sara’s mission was not supposed to change anything.

“It would seem the major temporal shift occurred at the death of Clark Kent in 2012,” Gideon announced, “at the hands of Lex Luthor, who rages war against all alien kind.”

Kara felt sick. The timeship floated above the city, but she could feel the gravity of Earth pulling her down, threatening to crush her. There was not enough air in the bridge and Kara stumbled, sought out the exit. She needed to fly, needed to do something. Anything.

“Incoming-”

Gideon did not give enough warning and the impact against the ship rocked Kara, jarred her movements, and she turned fearful eyes on Sara, who looked unsettled. “What is-”

Another impact and Sara ignored her. “Gideon! Status!”

“We are taking heavy fire, Captain,” the ship responded.

“No shit,” the woman shot, “can we jump?”

“There is damage to the stability regulator - if we jump, it might render us stranded, and may I remind you that Mr. Jackson and Mr. Palmer are not aboard?”

Another barrage had warning lights flashing and Sara barely kept her feet. “Just pick a time and jump!”

Kara had enough sense to leap forward, recognizing that Sara was too far from a chair to strap in. She wrapped protective arms around her friend and braced. The jump was rushed and she automatically lifted off the floor, hoping to minimize the disorientation as the ship shifted roughly.

Things settled and Kara put Sara down. Both of them took a moment to breathe, even as lights continued to flash. “When are we?”

“October 26, 2015,” Gideon reported.

Kara’s stomach turned. She rushed to the window. She recognized the scene below - the plane in the water. “What happened,” she screamed, fearing the worst.

“Kara Danvers of this timeline just rescued the plane and had an altercation with Lex Luthor, resulting in her falling into a year long coma.”

“So, I am in a coma?”

“The you of this present, yes.”

Sara came up behind her and put a hand on her shoulder. “This means you can assume her identity, in this timeline. We will need that,” she assured. “Good work, Gideon.”

“I want to remind you that we cannot jump and will need repairs,” Gideon stated.

“I need to see my sister,” Kara murmured.

“She would be at the DEO headquarters, where she and J’onn J’onzz are harboring the Kara of this time,” Gideon reported.

Sara sighed. “Take us there.”

“I would advise against revealing the Waverider,” Gideon input.

“We have done enough damage, at this point,” Sara argued and Gideon conceded.

~oOoOo~

Guns of all sorts were aimed at the Waverider as it floated over the DEO headquarters, the cloak disabled to conserve power. “Perhaps I should go down alone,” Kara mused.

“How much time travel garble can you speak,” Sara inquired.

“Uh, I suppose only what I know about the speedforce,” Kara admitted. “But, if things get violent-”

“It’s cute that you are worried about me,” Sara chuckled, “but, I _am_ an assassin.”

“Right,” Kara mumbled.

They descended together, hands raised in surrender, and allowed themselves to be escorted into the the building. “Who are you?” Alex’s gun was in Kara’s face and she looked on in worry at the reddened eyes and defeated posture her sister held.

“We would like to talk privately with Agent Danvers and J’onn,” Kara announced.

Alex looked confused. “John? From maintenance?”

Kara blanched and her eyes met J’onn’s. They wore similarly pained expressions. “I meant Director Henshaw,” she corrected.

J’onn ordered that they be taken to the interrogation room, despite how Alex protested that they might be dangerous. They were left alone in the room for a brief period, before being joined by Alex and J’onn.

“You have our attention,” J’onn announced. “Care to enlighten us as to who you are?”

“Well, I am Kara Danvers, but from the future,” Kara started, “and this is Sara Lance, and she is the reason I am in a different version of my past.”

“Wow,” Sara chuckled, “you didn’t even ease into it, did you?”

“I don’t do subtle or between the lines stuff,” Kara huffed. “I fly and shoot beams from my eyes! I am wearing a cape, for Rao’s sake!”

“Back up,” Alex had narrowed her eyes and eyed them both with abundant doubt. “You two are from the future?”

“And she is from a different universe,” Kara added.

“You just lay all your cards out,” Sara noted, “perhaps I should have done the talking.”

“J’onn can read your mind, so, it would not matter,” Kara grumbled.

“Who is John,” Alex butted in.

J’onn pinched the bridge of his nose. “Ms. Danvers, I take it that in this future, you know me more closely,” he guessed.

“Yes, we work very closely,” Kara affirmed.

“And how does Alex handle the truth?”

Alex looked at him with confusion. “She takes it in stride,” Kara indicated, with a forced smile and a shrug.

“It would seem we had better get this out of the way,” J’onn grumbled. “Stand back,” he ordered and Alex did as she was told, but her eyes continued to shift around the room.

J’onn transformed into his true form and towered above them. Sara took an extra step back and Alex took several. “Alex, wait,” Kara urged and reached for her sister, who looked more concerned by the offer. Kara retracted her hand. “He’s an ally to us.”

“I don’t know any of you,” Alex countered and her fingers twitched nervously beside the holster of her gun.

“We could get to know each other,” Sara assured, with a smirk.

“Sara!” Kara shot her an incredulous glare. “No flirting with Alex!”

“What? You said she was-”

Kara shot her hand out and covered Sara’s mouth. “Shh,” she nervously shushed, “she doesn’t know.” Sara’s brows rose and Kara felt her smile against Kara’s hand. “And she is not finding out by your hand,” Kara hissed.

When released, Sara continued to smirk. “Interesting phrasing,” she noted, quietly. Kara’s eyes went wide and she opened her mouth to chastise Sara.

“Alright, I don’t care to know whatever it is you two are going on about,” Alex sighed and when Kara turned to face her, she caught the look of determination that had overtaken Alex's features, “just tell me why you are here and how we fix it.”

J’onn had returned to his guise as Hank and had his arms crossed over his chest. Kara felt isolated from the people she held most dear. “I,” she hesitated, “Sara, could you explain?”

“Sure,” Sara agreed. “I am the captain of a timeship, which is the lovely craft outside. I am from a different universe, as Kara mentioned. The ship requires a metal known as Tempiterium, which does occur naturally. Our universe is a bit tapped of it and we determined that your universe does not make use of it.” She took a beat to allow for questions, but none came. “We found a source in your universe that became tainted by an oil spill in 2004, well before anyone would use it, even if your universe does develop the technology. There was no reason to think we would affect the timeline.”

“We were wrong and it has resulted in Clark’s death and my coma,” Kara input, soberly. “Things are not supposed to be this bad. We were making progress toward aliens feeling at home on Earth.”

“We need to repair the Waverider,” Sara continued. “But my tech savvy crew members did not join us,” she stated.

“We don’t have the sorts of tools or the minds you will need,” J’onn declared, “nor could we overtly assist you. The mission of the DEO is apprehension and detainment of extraterrestrials. The people we report to are out for blood. The war on aliens you have seen may not yet be here, but it is coming.”

“I don’t know about the bureaucratic stuff,” Kara admitted, “but, tech minds I’ve got covered,” she frowned, “sort of.”

“What do you mean, sort of?” Alex was the one that asked, but the expressions around the room told her everyone was wondering the same thing.

“Well, Winn will definitely help,” she assured, “but Lena doesn’t know me yet,” she finished.

“Lena?” Alex looked skeptical. “As in Lena Luthor?”

Kara smiled through her doubt. “Yep, Lena Luthor.”

~oOoOo~

Kara stood just behind Alex. They looked at the Kara who was in a coma. “Am I supposed to mourn her?”

Kara shifted her weight. “I don’t know.”

“If we succeed and you change history, this never happens, right?” Kara hummed in the affirmative. “We are fighting to erase this existence,” Alex pressed.

“I hate the idea that Kal-El is dead,” Kara murmured. “But, you do not need to blame yourself. We are strong, her and I.”

Alex smiled sadly and turned away from the Kara on the bed. “I wish I got to see what happened to give rise to such strength.”

“It was you, Alex,” Kara said. “You have have always inspired me. I don’t know what I would've done if I ended up in this timeline and she- if I did not manage to save you from that plane crash.”

Alex took her hand and Kara allowed herself to be pulled into a hug. “I will always be here for you,” Alex promised.

~oOoOo~

The next day, Kara found herself at CatCo, latte in hand. Winn greeted her, with a chipper tone and a longing glance that Kara had forgotten about. “Meet me on the roof in twenty,” she whispered to him and then went to greet Cat at the elevator.

“Keira,” Cat accepted her latte and eyed Kara from over her glasses, eyes narrowed. “You look… oddly put together. What happened?”

“I have taken some of your advice,” Kara said, with a charming smile.

“Took you long enough,” Cat huffed and walked passed her. “Push my noon to tomorrow and make sure to let James know I expect him to spend the day with me, so that I know he understands my expectations.”

“I will let him know,” she assured. “Anything else?”

“Keep the air of confidence,” Cat directed. “I am enjoying it.”

“Of course,” Kara beamed.

“Okay, off with you.” Kara turned on her heel and headed for the stairs to the roof. She caught Winn’s eye as she passed.

He caught up with her a minute later. “Kara, you doing alright? You seem… different.”

“Um, well, I am not doing terribly well, but I am hoping you can help me,” she stated.

“Oh? Well, I am always happy to help you, Kara,” he insisted.

“Right,” she smiled, weakly. “So, first, I have something I need to tell you and it is not something that anyone knows, so I need you to promise you will keep it between us,” she tried to recall how the conversation had gone the first time.

“Oh my god,” Winn gasped, “are you a lesbian?” There it was, the part she blocked out. “Is that why you are not into me?”

“Um, that is not what I am here to talk to you about,” she diverted. “No, I am an alien, Winn.” It was much easier, knowing how he reacted the first time. “I am the one who save the plane, sort of.”

“Saved the plane? I thought the alien attacked the plane?”

“That was different,” she muttered under her breath. “The point is less about the plane and more about the fact that I am an alien, Winn,” she pressed.

He took a step back. “You can’t be an alien - you are blonde and pretty and-”

“Okay, I am going to ignore the fact that you just said that,” she groaned.

“Are you going to hurt me?”

She threw her hands up and Winn flinched. “Sweet Rao, no, I need your help,” she scrunched her face, “and we are friends, remember.”

“But you have been lying to me,” Winn argued as he hesitantly pointed a finger at her.

Kara drew in a deep breath. “This was a lot easier when you just straight up didn’t believe me,” she grumbled. “Alright, I am going to appeal to the nerd in you.”

She watched the curious light in his eyes. “Do your worst,” he challenged.

She pursed her lips. “Okay, I am from the future, of a different timeline, one where you are part of my superhero dream team. I was helping my friend from a different universe gather materials for her timeship, changed the past by mistake, and am now on a mission to change it back.”

Winn’s eyes were wide and his mouth was slightly ajar. “Wow, that is so cool,” he murmured, “if I believe you,” he added, as an afterthought.

“Do you want to see the ship?”

He seemed to weigh the chances that she was lying against the chance that he could see a timeship. “Okay, I will help you, if I get to see the ship,” he agreed.

~oOoOo~

Kara left Winn to regather his bearings after she flew them to the DEO. She met up with Sara, who paced around the headquarters. “Alright,” Kara sighed, “so, your mission is to acclimate Winn to the Waverider and introduce him to Gideon, without scaring him, if possible,” she directed, while Sara glanced over at the man in question’s hunched over form, with a controlled neutral expression.

“Joy,” she deadpanned.

“My mission is to get hired as the personal assistant of my best friend,” she took a breath, “who doesn’t know me.”

“Sounds like you might have less fun than me,” Sara quipped.

“I never thought I would be an assistant again,” Kara frowned.

“There are some glamorous things I have done while time traveling, but most of it is acting how people expect you to,” Sara explained. “It is all about not making an impact, usually,” she shrugged with a crooked smile, “but we are not here to keep things intact.”

Kara narrowed her eyes. “You are really excited to be able to break the rules, aren’t you?”

“You bet your sweet ass!”

~oOoOo~

The building for Luthor Corp was still the one she remembered from LCorp - familiar, but with less of Lena’s touch to it. It felt much less welcoming and even Jess seemed dimmed by it. She smiled at the secretary and the smile that was returned was cordial, but nothing more.

“This way, Ms. Danvers,” Jess directed them to the elevator. She showed them into Lena’s office, the one space that seemed entirely unchanged by the different timeline. “Ms. Luthor will just be a moment longer.”

Kara thanked her and tried to straighten her clothes as she awaited Lena’s arrival.

Lena walked with a purposeful gait. “Ms. Danvers,” she greeted, with hardly a glance. “Thank you for coming in, today.”

“Of course, Le- um, Ms. Luthor.” From behind her desk, Lena studied her, brow cocked, as the silence grew between them. She cleared her throat and Kara snapped out of her stupor. “Oh, right, here you are,” she offered her resume and tried to shake off the way she felt intimidated by her close friend.


	2. The Start of Something New

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello my friends! 
> 
> I am glad to see there is some interest in this idea! You will all be happy to know that I know where this story is going! Well, I say happy, but I should warn you that it is looking like this is going to be another roller coaster of a story. Forgive me.
> 
> This chapter is all about laying the groundwork for what is to come - enjoy!

Kara had to fight her every instinct to be forward with Lena. She had made it a priority in life to stand behind Lena, to trust her completely, and to recognize that she was more than her name suggested. So to sit across from her best friend, someone she loved, and to doubt - it left a sour taste in her mouth. 

As she sat across from Lena, she felt the pang of hurt as she looked into guarded green eyes, devoid of the depth she was so accustomed to. “Ms. Danvers,” and to not hear her name, in the light tone reserved primarily for her, to instead have rigid formality, felt like almost as much a loss as Kal’s death, “you have been working for Cat Grant for two years?” After a moment of mental math, Kara nodded. “I have not had the pleasure of meeting the Queen of All Media,” Lena commented, with a momentary smile, “could you explain what you have done for her?”

Kara swallowed, feeling entirely unprepared to pitch herself to Lena. “Well, most of work was-” she cleared her throat at the error and tensed, “is” she corrected, but Lena seemed unconcerned by the phrasing, “helping Cat with her scheduling and running errands - arranging meetings, running prints, conversing with all levels of production to make sure everyone is on the page Cat wants them, filter her email correspondences.” Lena made notes on her resume and she resisted looking at them. “I also give input on which stories to run and the ones she writes personally.”

“I have heard rumors of her penchant for firing assistants, and didn’t realize she had kept someone on for two years,” Lena commented. “It sounds to me like she is setting you up for different work; are you certain you want to be my assistant?”

There was a measure of doubt in Lena’s tone and Kara felt in threaten to push her off course. “Yes,” she stated and Lena’s brow cocked in question, “I may not be formally trained in business or have PhDs in physics and engineering, but I know how to fight for what I believe in,” she declared. 

“Oh? And what do you beleive in, Ms. Danvers,” Lena inquired. 

“You,” Kara stated, matter-of-factly, “and your work.”

Lena’s face was a mask of neutrality, but Kara caught the way her heart fluttered, off beat of its normally steady tempo. “You would give up your potential to take on a more self-centered career for a supportive role at my company?”

“Without a second thought.”

There was a moment of silence as Lena seemed thrown off and Kara tried to calm her own heart, adrenaline high. “What do you hope to accomplish here, as my assistant?”

“I want to see your vision become the legacy of the Luthor name.” Kara clenched her fists on her lap. She knew she was playing at Lena’s insecurities, but even with the justification of the timeline being at stake, she felt the words weigh on her. “Lex’s projects are centered around preparing for threats that don’t yet exist, under the assumption that they will. Your platform has always been to solve problems that already exist. And without some help, you will not overcome his direction.”

“You presume a lot,” Lena noted with a clipped tone. 

“Do I? I passed a board meeting, discussing project budgets, and there were no empty seats,” she recalled the powerpoint with numbers that astounded. “Did they forget to invite the CEO?” Lena’s jaw was tight. “This may be your company, in name, but you are not really in control.”

“We had best change that,” Lena conceded. “Give Cat my sincerest apologies for absconding with her assistant.”

Lena rose and extended her hand. Kara practically jumped to her feet. “Of course, Ms. Luthor,” she chirped, glad to be able to cease the emotional barrage. 

As she took Lena’s hand, her friend held her gaze. “If you are going to help me, I expect two things from you,” she intoned. “You will always be as honest with me as you were today and you will call me Lena.”

Kara swallowed and forced herself to smile. “Only if you call me Kara.”

~oOoOo~

At CatCo, Kara felt like she was about to face down something worse than Myriad, Medusa, or even the Daxamite invasion. After nearly twenty minutes of working herself up, she entered Cat’s office.

“Keira,” Cat acknowledged her without looking up from her computer. “Where have you been? I had to ask Kelsey to answer the phones and I thought she was going to cry.”

“Kelly?” Kara turned to see the woman she had failed to save during Myriad. The woman looked mortified, phone still to her ear. “I am sorry, Cat,” Kara looked away from Kelly, “I had to-” She felt the words catch in her throat. 

“What did you do?” Cat looked at her intently, her eyes narrowed, piercing. 

“I applied to a new job,” she rushed out the words. “And took it.”

“So?” Cat crossed her arms over her chest. “I thought I taught you to stand behind your decisions,” she expressed. 

“You did,” Kara assured, “but I know you had hopes that I would be a reporter and I want you to know that I really appreciate the faith you have in me and-”

“Kara, stop,” Kara’s words caught in her throat. “While I am not sure what gave away my vision for you, I have always wanted you to follow your heart.” Kara nodded weakly. “Wherever you end up, you will work wonders.”

“I will make you proud,” Kara vowed. “And, if you ever need anything, I will be here. Anything.”

Cat cocked a brow. “You make it sound like the world is ending,” Cat waved away her words. “And people say I am dramatic.” Kara exhaled a laugh, but could not help the sinking feeling in her gut. “What I need is you to work at your fullest for as long as I have you.”

“Right,” Kara nodded and tried to refocus. “I will get interviews set up with some potential replacements and help James settle in.”

Cat smiled primly. “You can do that outside of my office,” she reminded.

Kara left. She looked up Siobhan Smythe and Eve Teschmacher, and reached out to both for interviews. Then she found her way into James’s office. It was strange to see him, his eyes sunken and his posture weak. “Um, hi,” she greeted. 

“Oh,” he looked up from the pictures he was surveying, “hey,” he greeted, upon seeing her. “Kara, right?”

“Yes, and you are James,” she awkwardly offered her hand. “You knew Clark, right?”

She watched him freeze and blink absently. Her hand dropped away. “Um, yes,” he forced a smile and she almost wished she had not brought it up. 

“He spoke highly of you,” she offered. “I am glad he had such a good friend.” 

“I didn’t know you spoke that often,” James admitted as he put aside the picture he held.

“We are cousins,” Kara commented and James’s eyes went wide. She knew what she had implied and that he understood. “I will rise from his ashes and fight for a brighter and better future,” she declared. “I hope you will stand by me, like you would’ve done for him.” 

There was a flicker of light in James’s eye and he nodded. “Of course,” he asserted. 

“Thank you,” she sighed, glad to have another friend beside her. 

~oOoOo~

While Sara declined her offer for the woman to sleep on her couch, in favor of her room on the Waverider, Kara needed the sense of normalcy. Alex joined her for an impromptu sister’s night.

“So, the suit you were wearing,” Alex sat heavily on the couch, “it looked a lot like what Clark used to wear,” she noted. 

Kara had began to rearrange things to match what she was used to, while Alex watched, bemused. “Yeah, I got to be a hero,” she beamed as she zipped around the apartment. “I got to work with you and the DEO,” she recalled, “and people felt safer knowing I was there for them.” She sighed. Her apartment would get no closer to what she remembered and she was grounded, officially not Supergirl. She sank down next to Alex. “It has been one day and I already miss it so much.”

Alex leaned on her shoulder and draped an arm around her. “What is different?”

Kara shuddered. “Today I saw someone I let die. I had to look her in the eye.” She choked. Felt her heart ache and her eyes burn. “If I succeed and return the timeline, she won’t be there.” 

“Oh, Kara,” Alex breathed and rubbed her shoulder.

“How do I know what I am doing is right? How can I decide that Kal’s life is more important than hers? Or that it is more important that I get to be Supergirl, hero of National City, rather than hiding?”

“I talked to your friend Sara a bit,” Alex said, while Kara listened to her practiced breathing pattern. She let it calm her. She tried to mimic it. She wished she had Alex’s mentality, her outlook on duty. “She said that with this world being altered in such an extreme way, it might spill into other worlds. The consequences of leaving things as they are is not about a tally of lives, but about a ripple effect that could tear apart the multiverse.”

Kara let tears fall in hot trails down her face. “I am just doing what is best,” she whispered. “Right?”

“No one can really say,” Alex intoned. “Maybe the timelines would all work themselves out smoothly, different, but intact,” she sighed, “but I don’t think we can risk that.”

“Thank you, Alex.”

There was silence while Alex soothed her. She held on to the fact that Alex would be beside her. She trusted her sister to guide her and to keep her grounded, emotionally. 

“So, Supergirl?”

She laughed wetly. “Yeah, Cat coined it.” Her stomach growled and her jaw tightened at how inappropriate it felt. “Does Noonan’s still exist?”

~oOoOo~

The next day, Kara watched the headlines spread like wildfire.  _ Alien Still At Large. _

The government had finally released an official statement regarding the plane crash and Kara was being labeled the culprit, confirming the rumors that had circulated. She could hear the whispers of fear around the office. She watched the way people looked about, as if they expected her to be lurking, awaiting the opportunity to strike them down.

“I heard it looked human,” one voice said and she tried not to connect it to a face.

“Like the one in Metropolis,” another added. 

She stared at the tv, where a blurred image of her, the other her, was on the wing of the plane, just before being chased off by Lex Luthor. She felt a presence approach, but could not pull her eyes away from the screen. “What has you just standing around, looking like someone shot your favorite dog?”

“I would never have a favorite dog,” Kara asserted. She allowed Cat’s bluntness to jar her, to pull her back into herself, away from the upsurge of endless opinions centered around her. 

“Everyone has a favorite, whether they admit it or not,” Cat dismissed. 

Kara disregarded the comment. “I don’t like the story,” Kara murmured the admission. 

“The truth doesn’t need to be liked,” Cat scoffed. “Just how many lessons have you forgotten since accepting a new job?”

She could not tell if the question was meant to be joking. She remained fixated on the image.“It feels false.”

“If you were a reporter, you could follow that instinct,” Cat walked away and forced Kara to follow her into her office, to step away from the visual reminder of how people saw her.

“You just want to be right,” Kara insisted and Cat shrugged. 

“You have the reporter spirit in you,” Cat commented as she settled behind her desk, “and I just want to make sure you are making the right decision.”

“I appreciate that,” Kara granted.

Cat’s glasses were low on her nose as she peered over them at Kara. “But?”

“Sometimes the right decision isn’t about me,” Kara sighed, reluctant to share. 

“Bullshit.” Kara nearly choked. “Whatever you have going on, you are part of the equation. You can’t just ignore your own needs and desires.”

“Who I want to be,” Kara argued, “that person is a symbol of hope. And progress. I have to be selfless.”

“You aren’t a machine. You are a person, like anyone else,” Cat rebuked.

“Someone once told me that a hero doesn’t get to be a real person,” Kara asserted, reliving the day she had allowed herself to think otherwise, under the influence of red kryptonite. 

“Solid advice for a hero,” Cat granted, “but I was under the impression that you were headed for Luthor Corp.”

“You don’t think I am making the right choice?”

“I just think it conflicts with your gut feeling about the alien,” Cat pressed.

Kara exhaled a laugh. “You can best change a company like Luthor Corp from the inside.” 

Cat beamed. “There’s the Kara I was looking for.” Kara frowned. She noticed that over the course of the conversation, she head felt more steadfast about her goals. 

“I am going to miss your roundabout lessons,” Kara realized aloud. 

“Neither of us is dying,” Cat huffed. “You have my number.” Kara smiled with a warmth in her heart.

~oOoOo~

Kara listlessly followed behind Winn as he moved about the engine room. She had stopped by to check on his progress, but when she had arrived, he had been deep in his head, muttering excitedly about how everything fit together. She did not want to interrupt, in case he was on the verge of a breakthrough. 

Sara joined after a few minutes and Kara resigned herself to waiting. They stood together, watching the flurry of pointing and finger snapping as lightbulbs seemed to illuminate within Winn. “He has been at this since the moment the work day was done,” Sara commented. “Hardly bothered to say hello when he came aboard.”

“I’m not surprised,” Kara chuckled. “This is probably the coolest thing he has ever seen, now or in the other timeline.”

“I don’t think I have ever been as excited as he seems right now,” Sara commented. 

Kara eyed her skeptically. “I guess you don’t seem like the excitable type,” she observed.

“Certainly not when it comes to something inorganic,” Sara agreed. 

“More of a flesh and bones person?”

Sara glanced toward her with a smirk, but before she had the chance to respond, Winn exclaimed triumphantly. “The stabilizer is self contained!” He trotted over to them, eyes wide and alight. “This is fantastic! I don’t even need to consider the engine when working on the stabilizer!”

“That’s what you have been circling this room trying to figure out?” He nodded, but was in his head, hardly paying any attention to the question. “Couldn’t you have just asked Gideon?”

His brows knitted together as his attention snapped to Sara. “Okay, first of all,” his expression was mildly aghast, “I don’t learn well auditorily. I am much better hands on.” Sara nodded, slowly. “But also, this is not something where it is just a matter of knowing yes or no,” he continued, even as Sara shrugged and backed off the question. “Not to mention,” he persisted, “I am working on a Temporal Stability Generator,” he dragged out the title, emphasizing each component. “Please, tell me which part of this room you think that is. Take a wild guess.”

Sara pursed her lips. “I wouldn’t know where to start,” she admitted.

He pointed at her fervidly. “That is exactly the point,” he breathed. “Neither did I!” He flourished a hand toward the room behind him, taking a few moments to look about it. “I think there are maybe four mechanisms in this whole system that I can name the derivative of.” When Sara did not respond, he whirled back around. “You would think I could look at these things and make a leap from what technology exists - that I could see evidence to modern design in any of it,” he shook his head with a sigh. “It bears no resemblance to anything I know, so, no, I can’t just ask Gideon.”

Kara patted Sara on the shoulder as the woman grumbled about how he could have just said no. “So,” Kara redirected them. “What do you need to fix it?”

“To put it simply-”

Kara chuckled. “I am from a world where children learned more advanced physics than you are even aware of,” she announced, “and she is an assassin,” she pointed her thumb at Sara.

“Ex-assassin, technically,” Sara corrected.

Kara shrugged. “Still more likely to kill him than the scary alien who can literally fry people with her eyes.”

Winn blanched. “I just meant to not get myself too excited by the explanation,” he assuaged. 

“Good save,” Sara said.

“Anyway,” Winn shifted his weight unsteadily. “It’s not so much a matter of fixing,” he motioned with his hands to indicate one invisible entity, “as replacing,” his hands shifted to show the separation. “The part that was fried needs to be rebuilt from scratch.”

“And do you have the means to do that?”

Winn looked pained. “Not even close.”

Kara felt like the world was crushing down on her. Her breath came in short gasps that she tried to keep quiet. “I did warn that this might happen,” Gideon reminded.

“Not the time to bring that up, Gideon,” Sara replied. “What about with the Luthor tech?”

Kara felt Winn’s eyes on her, but she could hardly see as her eyes automatically unfocused. “It is more likely. But, it is a matter of developing the tools to even build the part. They don’t exist. Some of the repair tools could be reconfigured, repurposed,” he cleared his throat, uncomfortably, “but there would be gaps to fill.”

“So, if you had a lab and Gideon, could you do it?”

Kara heard his soft groan. “Short answer, yes.” 

“And the long answer?” Kara could barely force the words from collapsing lungs. 

“I would need to devote everything to it. It would take time and a lot of resources. And an actual lab,” each thing he added was more strained than the last. “And since it is not exactly a home project, it would probably need to be sanctioned, like by the government,” he murmured, “unless we actually went through Luthor Corp.”

“So, essentially, it is between having the government, which is shifting toward a war on aliens, looking over our shoulder, or developing tech that Lex Luthor would have access to?”

Winn nodded, defeated. “Basically.”

“Kara,” Sara’s hand found her shoulder. Kara forced herself to focus. Sara’s jaw was tight as she looked Kara over, gauged her receptiveness. “You said your friend could help,” she reminded.

Kara nodded, weakly. “I did.”

“So, we can ask for her help,” Sara probed.

“I-” Kara swallowed down her doubts. “I don’t know. She supported me, but Lex had been incarcerated. I don’t know if her views have changed.” She clenched her fist, to keep it from shaking. “And she didn’t know about me being Supergirl. She was Kara’s friend and she worked with Supergirl.”

“She may be our only hope,” Sara pointed out. “You are going to have to see if you can ascertain her stance.” Kara nodded. Sara squeezed her shoulder. “If nothing else, Winn can pose as an inventive mind and see if we can pique her interest.” Sara shot Winn a too sweet smile. “Right, Winn?”

“I would have offered without the-” he motioned toward his own face. 

To Kara, Sara said, “we have time.”

Gideon chose that moment to comment. “Precisely one month and three days before legislature is put forth regarding alien registration. One month and sevent-”

“Gideon, I  _ will  _ shut you off,” Sara threatened. 

“My apologies, Captain Lance.”

Kara wished she did not doubt Lena. She wished she felt reassured that she would be turning to her friend for help. “Here’s hoping,” she muttered under her breath. She shook her head clear of thoughts. “In the meantime, can Gideon make any sort of clothing?”

“With the right specifications,” Sara confirmed.

“I need to feel like I am helping, but I can’t use the suit I usually do,” Kara sighed. “I was thinking maybe she could make me something more toned down, with a hood or a mask.”

Sara grinned. “Now you’re talking!” 

“I can have something ready in a few minutes,” Gideon announced. 

Kara looked to Sara. “You want to hit the streets?”

“I could definitely use the workout,” Sara affirmed.

“Good.” Kara needed the distraction.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you all enjoyed! I look forward to diving headlong down this rabbit hole! 
> 
> Please be sure to let me know what you appreciated or what you are hoping for! I love hearing your thoughts!


	3. Divergence

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello again!
> 
> So, good news: I have the plot of this fic rather square at this point. Debatable news: it is heavy. (I am changing the rating to M in preparation)
> 
> I will try to soften it with intermittent comedy, but the rest is out of my hands at this point XD
> 
> Enjoy!

Lena could not recall what it was like to get regular sleep. When she had moments where she was not working - in the shower, on the road, or in the moments before sleep took her - she tried to piece together how long it had been. She was not entirely sure how she managed to keep up with her studies. Her spare time was overwhelmed by worry over Lex’s frequent altercations with the alien in Metropolis, while she tried to convince him to focus on his company, the one Lionel had put him in charge of, just before his death. 

The death of the alien should have been a turning point for Lex’s lack of focus on Luthor Corp, but instead he fell further into his obsession. He stopped attending meetings altogether, in the months that led up to Lena’s graduation. Lena skipped her own ceremony to try to talk Lex into reconsidering his personal projects, which were rapidly draining the company’s resources. She spent nights beside him in his lab, pleaded with him while his self-imposed obligation became all consuming. “The alien is dead,” she screamed, blue in the face, tears running down her cheeks. He never even heard her. He was convinced there would be other aliens, that his work was not done.

After years of Luthor Corp being leaderless, she switched tactics. She begged him to let her take the company, to not see it driven into the ground. He gave it to her with little thought beyond still having access to its technology. She declined the offer to give a TED Talk so that she could step into the role of CEO of Luthor Corp. 

Months were spent learning business practices, the company’s models, connecting with the donors, familiarizing herself with the board, and overseeing the prospective projects. She lost track of what it meant to have dinner for the sake of enjoying food - she either ate over work or used dinner as a way of meeting with members of the board or donors. 

She worked against the current. No one was expecting her to succeed. No one was looking to help her. Not Lex, who was so lost in his mission. Not Lillian, who believed only in Lex. Not the board, who was still devoted to Lex and his ideals, who saw her as only a placeholder. Lena told herself that she just needed to keep the company afloat, that she just needed to last until Lex was prepared to take the company back. Then she could return to Jack, to her dreams of curing cancer and making a name for herself that was not tied up in her family. 

After months, the reminder she repeated when alone rang less clearly. She couldn’t see Lex stepping away from his obsession. She had numerous missed calls from Jack. Her life didn’t seem to be her own.

Her first act that felt like her own was when she hired Jess. It was nothing huge, but Jess was the first person in the company who reported to her and her alone. Jess was a secretary, responsible for greeting her guests and knowing when to show them in, receiving her calls and transferring ones worth her time. And Jess was such a kind soul. There was something about her being present that was symbolic of Lena chipping into the foundation of the company. 

She didn’t stop. She carried the momentum. She hired new scientific minds. A year after graduation, she managed to push some her own projects to the forefront of the company’s agenda. It felt like progress. And she found herself wondering if she might commit to it, whether it was something she could be happy doing.

Then there was a plane crash. There was a new alien. Lex made a public appearance. The alien was proof that he was right, that there were others, and he used it to push his way back into relevance. The board rallied behind him overnight, as he turned to the government, arguing the necessity of his work. 

There was a pang in Lena’s chest, an unforeseen conflict that took root. She felt unprepared for Lex’s reappearance. It felt like the world was pulling the rug out from under her. She was never allowed to stand, never allowed to have anything that was truly hers. She did not sleep at all that night.

She was at the office early. She tried to sort out the implications of Lex’s return to the public light. An email notification drew her attention. She sighed as she shifted to the browser. The subject line referenced applying to be her personal assistant. “I don’t even have a notice out for an assistant,” she muttered, in confusion, but opened the email anyway, unsure how it managed to make it through to her inbox. The resume was for Kara Danvers, assistant to none other than Cat Grant. She was compelled by curiosity to hear the woman out and fit her in for a morning meeting.

Kara Danvers was a magnetic person, with a bright demeanor, but what struck Lena was the way she spoke directly to the part of Lena that was kept private. It was unnerving, the way the woman openly acknowledged the turmoil Lena was just becoming aware of within herself. She had already begun to realize that she did not want to give up the company, but Kara seemed determined to spur her timetable forward. 

The way Kara spoke - it was familiar, like she was an old friend that knew Lena so well, but also foreign, encouraging in a way Lena had never experienced. It was baffling and mildly frustrating, but the unknown elements were oddly inviting. Kara was so hard to decipher. She clearly had an agenda, but there was nothing self-serving about the hand she showed. Lena could not sort it out. She was used to being an underdog, but it was not often she did not know the game being played. 

Lena hired her. Kara felt like the next Jess. Where Jess was the first step to overtaking the company, Kara was the first barrier she managed to put to keep it within her control. It was an assertion of her newly recognized desire, and at the same time, it was subconscious act of defiance from the part of her that knew what was coming, the part she was desperate to ignore. 

The next morning, Kara informed her via email that she had given her two weeks notice at CatCo and Lena found herself wanting to smile, but instead there was just a wash of guilt. She chastised herself for wanting the company, especially at the expense of Lex. 

A knock on her office door drew her attention away from her computer. She wondered how anyone had managed to her office without Jess. She froze for a moment, needed the brief period to collect her thoughts as she realized whose company she entertained.

“Lex,” she greeted with a smile as her heart fluttered. He was clean shaven and in a well-tailored suit, a look she had almost forgotten in the years since the appearance of Metropolis’s alien. She had longed to see him so put together, so immaculate. He had always taken such care with his appearance, so to see him returned gave her renewed hope. She welcomed the display of vanity.

“My Little Lena,” he beamed as he made his way into the office. Lena watched his eyes scan the room and she held her breath, certain that he would comment on her rearrangements, but then he just smiled warmly. “How’ve you been?”

Lena felt suddenly self conscious. She had not taken the care she might have with her makeup or attire in the chaos of the morning, and her desk was in total disarray. She rose and tried to surreptitiously smooth the wrinkles in her skirt. “Things’ve been,” tried to conjure a generous image, but settled for, “busy.” After a second thought, she added, “good, though.”

“I’m glad,” he beckoned for her to join him at her couch and she acquiesced, “I am so proud of you, Lena,” he expressed, in a light tone that suggested nothing had been amiss between them for years. Lena’s body buzzed with gratification, for a moment, before her thoughts caught up with her, reminded her that she was undeserving. 

“It was nothing,” she offered.

“Oh, but it wasn’t,” Lex disagreed, his hand finding hers in her lap, enveloping it, “I’m put at ease knowing that I have you looking out for me.” He gave her hand a squeeze. 

Lena needed to cut to the chase, to get ahead of the part of her that did not want to ask. “Are you coming back,” after a breath, she clarified, “to Luthor Corp?”

“I have no intention of ousting you, dear sister,” he chuckled, as if it was obvious. “I know that we can be such a force, together,” he continued, “with you here,” he flourished his hand to indicate the office. He took a long breath, “While I bring the alien threat to light.”

Lena resisted her muscles locking, the rigidness that took hold of her spine. “You mean the plane crash?” She had hoped to avoid the topic of aliens and she felt her naivete trust into focus.

“Yes, the alien that took down the plane is proof that the Kryptonian was not alone.” His words rang with triumph and she saw the excited fire in his eyes, like when he had solved Fermat’s Last Theorem, or when he got accepted to MIT at the age of sixteen. He was alive with the feeling of accomplishment, of being wholly above the masses. Lena felt obligated to stoke the flames, to keep intact the spirit he had been so long without. 

She did not want to make herself complacent in feeding his addiction. “Is this new alien worth pouring so much into?”

“It’s not her that is important.” Lena furrowed her brow, confusion setting in. “She’s Kryptonian as well and I have already bested her,” he explained offhandedly, “no, what is important is that her appearance has forced the government to admit that it knows of others,” he said delightedly, “and it has seen fit to take me on as an expert contractor, with total sanction.”

Lena felt the cold that bloomed in her gut and let herself be numb to the information. She told herself she would revisit Lex’s words to explore their implications. What did total truly mean?

“To what end?” She asked instead. 

“Defense! They’re finally seeing reason,” Lex sighed contentedly. He let the victory wash over him as he sank bank into the couch. “I’ll be recommending legislation that they can use to ease the proceedings,” he boasted. 

“And what if it doesn’t pass?” It is innocuous probe, meant to see where Lex stood - how far he was willing to go.

“With the rising public fear, I don’t see that happening,” Lex assures coolly. “People are waking up.”

“Just be careful,” she whispered, but Lex seemed to not hear her, lost in his head. 

“Ms. Luthor?” Jess knocked on her door.

“I suppose I should let you carry on with your day,” Lex acknowledged and rose.

Lena called Jess in as Lex excused himself. Jess seemed unsurprised by Lex’s presence and just stepped aside. Lena eyed her as the door shut. “Jess?”

“Right, so, Mr. Dennis’s office called to cancel today’s meeting,” she informed Lena.

“And?” Jess seemed really excited about something and Lena was sure it was not a cancelled meeting.

“Do you watch the news?” Jess’s eyes were wide and expectant.

“Not last night or this morning, if that’s what you’re asking.” Lena cocked her brow.

“There was an alien reported out on the streets last night.”

Lena swallowed thickly. Her mouth felt dry. She wanted so badly for there to be no more aliens for Lex to be at war with. 

“There was a fire and everything. Luckily, everyone got out, but everyone’s talking about it. Some people are even wondering if the alien was actually there to help,” Jess added.

_ Superman _ . That was what the Kryptonian in Metropolis called himself. The name itself spoke volumes about his ego, his superiority complex. It made her skin crawl how the alien had claimed to be a hero, while his true nature had been something darker. And he left his mark on Lex, even in death.

Was this new alien the same?

“Why don’t we keep our minds on our work,” she suggested. Jess’s face fell, but then she smiled and nodded. “Thank you, Jess.”

~oOoOo~

Three aliens? Lex had said he had beaten the second. Could there really be another? The possibility haunted Lena all throughout the day. It was made especially hard by her oddly open schedule. She tried to fill it with budget reports, but found herself drawn to news articles.

There was a cellphone pic of the new alien. The face was obscured by a hood, but the coloring was so distinct. It made her queasy. Why did it have to be so reminiscent of the alien that started Lex’s spiral into obsession?

When the day was finally done, she decided she needed the fresh air and told her driver to let her walk. It was not a particularly long walk, but she usually felt safer in a car. In that moment, the idea made her feel trapped. So, she walked the streets and let the noise and motion overwhelm her thoughts. 

She was nearly home when a gunshot cut through the noise. Panic erupted before her eyes as people scattered away from a shop on the corner. She was about to follow suit, ready to flee, but her feet were glued to the spot when she saw a body drop from the sky. 

The distance between them was substantial, but there was no mistaking the silhouette. He breath caught in her throat. Bodies streamed passed her as people fled the scene, but the alien walked straight into the shop.

Someone bumped her shoulder, going the opposite direction of everyone else. She was jarred into motion, but instead of fleeing, she followed shakily after the figure in white. 

She found herself at the shop’s window, looking in on the robbery in progress. “Hey,” the alien called the gun wielder’s attention. “You don’t need to do this.” The voice was so crisp, so confident. 

“Who the fuck are you?” The gun was pointed at the alien.

“Haven’t you seen the news?” The question held a joviality, light and diffusing. 

Realization dawned on the robber’s face. “You don’t want to shoot, either,” the woman in white remarked, “trust me.”

“You’re the alien,” the robber gasped. “Hey,” he switched tactics. “I don’t want trouble,” he pleaded and dropped the cash he had taken. 

“That’s good,” the alien assured. “Neither do I.”

The alien stepped aside and the man hesitantly slipped passed and out onto the street. “You should call 911,” the alien suggested to the shop keeper who was frozen behind the counter.

Without so much as a response, the two figures were on the move. “When I said I wanted some exercise, chasing you around all night was not what I had in mind,” the woman in white quipped. “Let’s try to find someone who won’t throw in the towel as soon as you play the alien card.” 

They exited the shop and Lena was caught as the alien glanced in her direction. To her surprise, the alien also froze. Lena’s breath hitched. Was she recognized? Her heart hammered in her chest. The alien’s face was covered by a mask, so there was no knowing what crossed her mind.

“C’mon,” the woman in white urged. “You can stare at pretty ladies another time.” Their eyes broke connection and the alien turned away. 

“There’s a disturbance about three blocks from here,” the alien noted. “You going to make it?”

“Very funny,” the woman snarked. The alien shot into the sky, before Lena’s eyes, like gravity was nothing. Lena’s eyes tracked her as far as they could. 

“Fuck,” she breathed. Her knees felt weak, like the gravity the alien ignored became hers to shoulder. She could not shake the feeling that there was reason for the alien’s lingering stare.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you all enjoyed! Be sure to let me know, here or on tumblr: @mssirey

**Author's Note:**

> So, I cannot say I have any idea of where this is going, but let me know if y'all like it!
> 
> Also, feel free to give me ideas for where it could go - in comments or on Tumblr XD


End file.
